Worry and stress may add to dizziness after acoustic neuroma surgery
Original title: Subjective persistent dizziness handicap and psychological factors in vestibular schwannoma patients: a cross-sectional study.
How far along is this research?
- Lab cells
- Animals
- Review
- Tested in people
This was tested in people. That is the most reliable kind of research we share.
This looked at people who already had surgery, at a single point in time. It is not a treatment you can ask for.
The short version
Many people still feel dizzy after surgery for a vestibular schwannoma, and this study found that anxiety and stress are tied to how bad that dizziness feels.
What was studied. Researchers looked at 93 people who had surgery for a vestibular schwannoma, a non cancerous tumor on the hearing and balance nerve. Each person filled out questionnaires about dizziness, mood, anxiety, stress, personality, and past mental health.
What they found. Of the people in the study, 80.6% said they had dizziness after surgery. Worse dizziness was linked to more balance symptoms, more anxiety, more physical symptoms tied to stress, and more general distress. People who felt they needed more support from others after surgery also reported more trouble from their dizziness.
What this means, and what it doesn't
What it could mean: If you are dizzy after this kind of surgery, the feeling is common and it is real. Stress and anxiety may make it harder to live with. Care that treats mood and stress, not just balance, may be worth talking about with your team.
What it doesn't mean: This does not mean anxiety causes the dizziness. The study looked at people at one point in time, so it cannot show what leads to what. No balance testing was done, only questionnaires. It is not a treatment, and it is not a cure. It also does not mean your dizziness is in your head.
Source: PubMed, July 29, 2026 · Read the original
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